Jews from Germany in Ghetto Riga's file / תיק – יהודים מגרמניה בגטו ריגה

The destruction of Western communities in Latvia

This collection includes 31 sources Forming a mosaic of personal testimonies, official documents, and historical reports, documenting the fate of the Jews of the Reich who were deported to the Riga ghetto and the concentration camps in Latvia (H55-4f, H55-19f). The sources describe a path of torment that began with mass deportations in the dead of winter, through life under murderous terror in the ghetto and in labor camps such as Slasspils and Jungfernhof, to the death marches and liberation (H55-10f, H55-11f, H55-21f). The testimonies reveal the struggle for the human image through spiritual leadership, the preservation of religious life, and social solidarity, alongside precise documentation of the crimes of the SS and the Latvian Meszastra (H55-1f, H55-2f, H55-7f).

Expansion of important sources

1. H55-3f (Gerda Gottschalk – The Last Road): A comprehensive account of the fate of the Jews of Leipzig (H55-3f). Gottschalk describes her arrest by the Gestapo in 1941, the deplorable conditions in the Riga ghetto and Stutthof camp, and the surprising help she received from Catholic clergy (H55-3f). She documents her daring escape across the Baltic Sea to Denmark towards the end of the war (H55-3f).
2. H55-5f (Lily Hanoch – athlete and teacher): A biographical essay on one of Germany's most important female athletes, who held world records in the shot put and discus throw (H55-5f). The source documents her educational activities in Berlin under Nazi rule and her tragic murder in Riga in 1942, an event that symbolizes the loss of the intellectual and sporting elite of German Jewry (H55-5f).
3. H55-15f (I am Reisler – testimony about the liquidation of the ghetto): A dramatic and moving account of the great "Aktion" of November 2, 1943 (H55-15f). Reisler describes the brutal selections carried out by Kurt Krause, the cries of children separated from their mothers, and the ominous silence that reigned in the ghetto after thousands were sent to their deaths (H55-15f).
4. H55-19f (Historical overview of the Riga Ghetto): A detailed document that reviews the establishment of the ghetto, the organizational structure of the "Altstenrat" headed by Max Leiser, and daily life (H55-19f). The source expands on the attempts to maintain an education system for children, cultural activities, and even soccer games as a tool for mental survival in conditions of extreme hunger and cold (H55-19f).

Key figures

Victims:

• Rabbi Yosef Carlebach: Rabbi of Hamburg, a spiritual leader who inspired the prisoners at Jungfernhof until his murder (H55-1f, H55-75).
• Lily Al-Honoch: A world record holder in athletics who was expelled from Berlin and murdered in Riga (H55-5f).
• Max Laser: Head of the ghetto council of elders, who worked tirelessly for the community (H55-2f, H55-19f, H55-34).
• Gerda Gottschalk: A survivor from Leipzig who documented the journey of suffering and escape to Denmark (H55-3f).
• Karl Schneider: Documented the rich religious life that took place underground within the ghetto (H55-2f).
• Werner Golnik: A child who survived the horrors and describes the loss of his 7-year-old little sister (H55-26f, H55-147).

Nazis and war criminals:

• Kurt Krause: The ghetto commander is described as a sadistic murderer who used to shoot prisoners arbitrarily (H55-7f, H55-15f, H55-19f).
• Rudolf Lange: Commander of the SD in Latvia, one of the main perpetrators of the mass murder in Rumbula (H55-4f, H55-19f, H55-27f).
• Eduard Roschmann: An SS officer who commanded the ghetto and was responsible for its liquidation and the deportation of the survivors (H55-7f, H55-19f).
• Dr. Krebsbach: An SS doctor who carried out murderous selections under the guise of medical examinations (H55-7f, H55-10f, H55-13f).

List of sources

• H55-1f : Fanny Engelard's testimony about Rabbi Carlebach's leadership and the expulsion from Hamburg.
• H55-2f : Karl Schneider's diary about religious and social life in the Riga ghetto.
• H55-3f : Gerda Gottschalk's testimony about the deportation from Leipzig and the escape to Denmark.
• H55-4f : Siegfried Weinberg's report on the Slaspils camp and Nazi crimes in Latvia.
• H55-5f : An article about the life and fate of the athlete Lili Hnoch, who was murdered in Riga.
• H55-6f : Testimonies about the atrocities in Latvia and lists of deportees from Osnabrück.
• H55-7f : List of Nazi war criminals in Riga and details of their actions by Hermann Wessen.
• H55-8f : Maria Caspari's testimony about the deportation from Berlin and life in the labor camps.
• H55-9f : Letter from Johanna Rosenthal about the fate of the Jews of Potsdam in Riga.
• H55-10f : Reinhold's testimony about the suffering in Jungfernhof, Slasspils, and Auschwitz.
• H55-11f : Testimony of Siggi Ziering about the ghetto, Stutthof camp, and rescue to Sweden.
• H55-12f : Testimony of Johanna Rosenthal, including a list of those deported from Potsdam to Riga.
• H55-13f : Heinz Samuel's experiences as a forced laborer in the various concentration camps in Latvia.
• H55-14f : A letter describing the deportation of a couple from Cologne to Riga and from there to their murder in Auschwitz.
• H55-15f : I am Reisler's description of the murderous "Aktion" on November 2, 1943.
• H55-16f : L. Picker's report on the deportation from Vienna and survival in the Latvian camps.
• H55-17f : Memories of Erna Falk from the Riga Ghetto, Stutthof Camp, and work in the Luftwaffe.
• H55-18f : Ezra Yurman's childhood experiences in Riga and the labor camps.
• H55-19f : A broad historical overview of the establishment of the Riga Ghetto, its management, and liquidation.
• H55-20f : Commemorative remarks for the victims of the Salaspils camp and data on the extent of the murder.
• H55-21f : The expanded Reinhold report on four years of imprisonment and the death marches.
• H55-22f : Emil Wörth-Czerna's report on the medical service and the rescue of Jews in the camps.
• H55-23f : Official documents and deportation orders for the Jews of Stuttgart to the East.
• H55-24f : Bulletin on the establishment of the memorial site in Bikanerniki near Riga.
• H55-25f : A journalistic article about the story of Armgard Ohel's survival in the Latvian camps.
• H55-26f : Werner Golnik's memoirs about the loss of his family and his childhood in the Riga ghetto.
• H55-27f : A review in Yiddish of the murder sites in Rumbula and the surrounding area of ​​Riga.
• H55-28f : An article about research into the Holocaust of Latvian Jews and the struggle for compensation for survivors.
• H55-29f : Article commemorating the 55th anniversary of the deportation to Riga and the opening of the memorial site.

– H55-1f

– H55-2f

– H55-3f

– H55-4f

– H55-5f

– H55-6f

– H55-7f

– H55-8f

– H55-9f

– H55-10f

– H55-11f

– H55-12f

– H55-13f

– H55-14f

– H55-15f

– H55-16f

– H55-17f

– H55-18f

– H55-19f

– H55-20f

– H55-21f

– H55-22f

– H55-23f

– H55-24f

– H55-25f

– H55-26f

– H55-27f

– H55-28f

– H55-28-1f

– H55-28-4f

– H55-29f

** end of Jews from Germany in Ghetto Riga files **

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